Like Magic and Mice
by Airily
Summary: This time period wasn’t Kagome’s generation or the Feudal Era, it was Tom Marvolo Riddle’s.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _Inuyasha _and _Harry Potter_ belong to their respective authors/owners.

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**_A/N: _**A new story! The plot bunnies have sort of migrated from Just A Riddle Away to form this...I did try redirecting them but, well, hope you enjoy!

A product of 'what if', what if Kagome and Tom met when they were younger and inexperienced?

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**Like Magic and Mice  
**

-Chapter 1-

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..:I:..

The shards of the Shikon no Tama had scattered practically everywhere! Kagome was beyond frustrated when, according to a dying woman's murmurs, one piece had somehow managed to slip into a different time altogether. This time period wasn't Kagome's generation or the Feudal Era, it was Tom Marvolo Riddle's.

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Opening a time portal was no easy task, requirements had to be met, ones that weren't revealed until they were found and even then they weren't always identified. It was a confusing thing. _Creating_ a time portal, _well_, that was another matter altogether. That option was discarded the moment it was suggested, it was impossible. There _must_ be a mistake! The mix-matched group of shard-hunters even shared that little bit of 'useless' information to Kagome.

They forgot that 'Impossible' was Kagome Higurashi's middle name.

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"Impossible!" Kagome muttered to herself.

She sat on the edge of the well, staring at the surroundings, breathing the air, hearing the sounds and pinching herself for good measure. The fifteen year old teenager had managed to travel through time, a _different_ time. Again. She sighed loudly, half-hoping that Inuyasha would hear and come running and shouting. He didn't. At least the miko could sense the faint presence of a shard, proving the old woman's words and provided Kagome with a goal.

The unfamiliar environment had been her first clue. There was no well house, so it wasn't the shrine, but there also wasn't lush, green nature to greet her either, so it wasn't the Feudal Era. Kagome glanced around, critically examining the place and suddenly she wasn't sure if she was still in Japan. The building nearby appeared old-fashioned but it was the ripped poster fluttering nearby that gave the game away.

'CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES' the title read and next to a cartoon face of a man with a distinct mustache was 'MR. HILTER WANTS TO KNOW!'

To punctuate the setting, two women approached the well talking about daily life. She caught snippets of 'rationing' and 'the war' in the conversation. Kagome remembered her first encounter with the villagers in the Feudal Era and thought it'd be better to gather more information before she approached anyone. Quickly running and crouching, she hid herself behind a tree. The trunk was large enough to conceal her presence from the women but not to anyone or anything on the other side, which happened to be a boy around her age with a poisonous snake.

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"_Smell something...nice,"_ the reddish-brown adder hissed. The snake flicked her forked tongue curiously, slithering up the boy's arm for a better vantage point.

Tom decided to indulge the adder's sudden interest, _"What does it smell like?"_

"_Different..."_ she paused, searching for the suitable description, _"like magic and mice." _

Intrigued now, he inquired, _"Where?"_

"_Nearby, very near." _

He calmly watched as the snake moved towards the direction of the source, not realising that it would find him. Unbound hair smacked him in the face, thick, black and smelling of fruit. The head turned and the next thing he saw was blue, clear skies. No war, no pollution, just blue.

Tom blinked to rid the illusion and this time he saw an unfamiliar female face. The shape of her eyes, nose and face...she wasn't European. She could be Japanese, instantly he narrowed his eyes furiously. He had his wand in his pant pocket and any magic could be considered self-defence. Actually, perhaps he should make the first move and test a few spells...

It was an easy decision but she had probably guessed his intention. She lunged at him, both hands making a grab for his wand but he was quicker. Tom side-stepped and with a swift arc, fired an offensive attack. His aim was true, as always, though the result wasn't. The spell had dissolved into some sort of pink magical barrier in front of the girl's bare palm. Magical...but with _no wand_.

She had taken advantage of his surprise and pounced to seize his wand. If it had been anything else in his hand, she would've succeeded. However this was _Tom_ and his _wand_. He fell back, ferociously holding onto the wooden stick.

Angered, he ordered the snake that was still wrapped on his forearm, _"Bite her!"_

Fortunately for the stranger, that was the exact moment she released her hold. Tom crashed down from the momentum and also caused the adder to dislodge from her position.

She invaded his personal space once again to whisper urgently in English, "I'm _not_ the enemy."

He would've still have attempted to curse her if it hadn't be for the recent presence of a barn owl and its mail. Tom had to quickly think things through. The girl had aimed for his wand, so probably knew about its significance which could mean that she was a witch or knew of magic. Then a delivery owl arrived, probably warning against illegal magic use, but there was only one letter. He didn't want to risk further magic just yet, not when he had the disadvantage with the Ministry of Magic and not when the stranger promised to hold many intriguing secrets.

He stood up, relaxing his shoulders a bit and held his wand in clear view, "Who are you and why are you here?"

Now that Tom had another look at the girl, her appearance would've been terrible for spying with the exotic features and colourful, strange clothes. He wasn't interested in female clothing but he was sure that skirt was on the 'very short' side. The vivid green and bold red that coloured the clothes was also uncommonly seen in these times. Just about everything about her would attract attention.

...

"I'm just someone who got here unintentionally. I don't mean any harm," Kagome raised her hands in the universal non-threatening gesture, "I'm looking for something and didn't want to attract attention. Sorry about that." She hoped he could sense her sincerity.

Intelligent dark eyes stared back at her, revealing nothing. The boy looked to be around her age and as boys are, especially ones with foreign blood, was taller than her. He had short, black hair that was neatly parted and brushed. The clothes were plain, old and if they hadn't been wrestling earlier, would've also been clean and tidy. Kagome thought the boy had the typical appearance of a smart, studious student but his reaction...he was more powerful than he let on and he knew it. She was almost glad that Kikyo had taken her shards because the young miko didn't want to face this person as an enemy.

Kagome's pondering was interrupted when she heard a faint hiss. Her senses were more sensitive now, though not by much, it was enough for her to notice a poised snake by her ankle. The hiss was probably from the snake but it had changed its mind and slithered away, disappearing from her view behind the tree. She wasn't sure if it was poisonous or not, but she did appreciate the lack of bite.

"Thanks," she whispered to the retreating zigzag-patterned tail. Kagome glanced up to see his eyes expose a bit of curiousity, so she indulged him, "For not biting me."

"You didn't give me your name," he replied instead. The mention of her name and the lack of steel in his tone took her by surprise. By the time she had recovered, he had continued, "Tom Marvolo Riddle and you are...?"

Accent, Hilter, war...Kagome unconsciously bit her lip. Her name was distinctively Japanese, who was this country's _enemy_ in _war_. "Ka...um, call me..." She hurriedly tried to think up a female European name.

"I'll call you Katherine then," came her smooth save. He glanced at her, smiling knowingly as he retrieved something that looked like a letter from the owl's clutch and quickly hid it in his pant pocket, but that wasn't her business.

"That would be best," she agreed, "How would you like to be addressed?" Kagome wasn't certain about formality around the times of the Battle of Britain.

His grin widened to show teeth, "Riddle will do."

"Riddle," she repeated slowly and hoped that the pronunciation, especially with the 'r' and 'l's came out right. It wouldn't do to get his name wrong and expose anything of her Japanese background, at least not yet

"Walk with me," 'Katherine' didn't immediately comply, so he elaborated "I just have a few questions but you stand out too much here."

Unable to refute that claim, Kagome approached to follow him. He wouldn't allow her to walk behind him and she didn't want to go in front of him (a side-effect from her experiences with Miroku), so they made their travel side by side. Along the way to a different building, not the one nearby, Kagome quickly glanced at the well. It looked deep and was filled with water.

...

Tom was starting to get excited. His dreary days at the orphanage, _without magic,_ had been pleasantly interrupted. This girl, this 'Katherine', was someone worth his interest. He mentally congratulated himself for calling off the adder bite. The wizard wasn't completely positive but the probability of the girl being a witch was increasing. She had been respectful toward the reptile and might've realised that he was a Parselmouth, which was why she had repeated his last name doubtfully. His lack of certainty was due to that magical barrier Katherine had placed using one _hand_. Perhaps that ability was from a bloodline like his... Either way, he had to be subtle. She seemed to have some Slytherin survival skills, so he wouldn't be able to easily strike her from behind, figuratively or literally.

He guided her to the outside of the orphanage below his window. There was a sturdy wooden frame nearby with overgrown but harmless yellowing ivy that Tom sometime used for climbing. While he would've preferred any other place, his personal room had the lowest probability of intrusion and eavesdropping. He had made sure of that.

However Katherine had to be uncooperative and refused to climb up because _he_ could peek up her skirt. Like he would! No, wait, it was the 'peeking' in general, not necessarily limited to just him. Well she could have easily not worn such short skirts...

"...except that this is a school uniform," Tom raised an eyebrow, which provoked her to childishly retort, "It's not my fault that the principle's a pervert! Though the material _is_ very durable..." She sighed, "I'd rather ruin these clothes than my good ones. Final point, either you climb up first or I don't at all."

Tom just shook his head and drawled, "Fine, have it your way. Right now it's around...oh, hear that? It's Mrs. Cole's bell for _lunch_. There'll be a rush and any excuse I come up for idly standing under a window would be plausible, but you...you with your _strange_ clothes..." he dropped his voice lower for better results, "...a _foreigner_..."

"Okay, I get it! No peeking." Katherine didn't wait for a response, she grasped onto the frame, tugging it thoughtfully and then proceeded to hurriedly climb up with ease.

The boy smirked and merely for extra satisfaction in light of his successful persuasion, not an intentional goal, he glanced up her skirt. He did it just because he _could_, not because he was a pervert. For his first ever panty-peeking, he saw a smug ginger cat with 'Dogs are man's best friend but I'm the master in this relationship' underneath. His first thought was that who would bother with all that detail for underwear. His second thought was that he didn't mind. The third and final, since he had to turn his head or Katherine would catch him, was that it was worth a look. (He hadn't made any promises anyway.)

He had turned his head just in time too since she whispered down, "Done! Okay, your turn."

Tom approached the wall but before he had even placed a hand on the wooden frame, several of the youngest pests came running towards the orphanage. He didn't want to give away his escape route and so had decided to follow the crowd, go get his pitiful lunch and then return to his room. He hoped that the girl wouldn't pry among his belongings. The wizard quickly glanced up at his window but she had already hid herself.

..:I:..

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_**A/N:**_ _'CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES' ... 'MR. HILTER WANTS TO KNOW!' _This is real.

You may or may not have read about me asking for opinions on Tom's eye colouring. (**Poll on profile**) Thank you for your input! Just...there's currently **_one _**vote separating the leading option. One! While I would've closed the poll a while ago, thought I'd show you the story that the results would've been used in and see if there's any changes. It won't impact the overall plot but having the same imagery might help.

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I've also started using more description for this story/chapter, so please tell me what you think!

Thank you for reading,

Airily


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _Inuyasha _and _Harry Potter_ belong to their respective authors/owners.

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_**A/N:**_ I would've updated earlier but had no time =.= Actually had this chapter written and finished too... Anyway, enjoy and an early happy Australia Day! :P

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To _V.C. West_: Congratulations on achieving the first review XD At least something comes out from my 'suffering', though to be honest, I don't mind plot-bunny invasions... Thank you for reminding me about 'Over the Moon' though, I'm been busy enough to have forgotten about it *hides* Sorry! Now just have to find time and the appropriate bunny...

To _NightSky_: Thank you again :) I find Tom interesting to write (and hopefully I'm representing him relatively okay) so this is more of an excuse to just that. Being an uncommon pairing is nice bonus.

I will remember to work on my other stories too, thank you for your patience :)

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**Like Magic and Mice**

-Chapter 2-

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..:II:..

Kagome had pressed herself against the wall under the window and within the shadows the moment she had seen the children heading toward the building. She had evaded that potential danger, but now the reason that the miko remained still stared right at her. Another snake, although this time the reptile was shorter with black and white zigzag-patterned markings. It had been sunbathing in the middle of the floor, out of all places, and now raised its head in her direction.

The snake was slowly raising and lowering its head, flicking its tongue often, as if it couldn't decide on what to do next. Kagome remained still and to distract herself from the room's other occupant, she focused more on the room. The floor was old, wooden and spotlessly clean, the snake would've provided no visible evidence of ever being there if it left. Against the wall was an iron bedstead with thin, greying sheets and a flat, similarly whitish-grey pillow, the bed was neatly made and reminded the miko of a poor hospital. Next to the bed was a stiff-looking wooden chair that seemed a bit short for someone with Tom's height. She glanced over to the other side of the room which held a battered wardrobe. Everything was old, not just old-fashioned but used and had passed down many hands. Kagome reminded herself that it should be expected in a time of war.

Having finished with observing the room, the miko tried to concentrate on the shard that she had detected a while ago. Nothing. Kagome didn't even have a clue on which direction to continue traveling. She didn't have companions, the country was foreign, no yellow bag filled with goodies...

The door opened and closed. She glanced up to see Riddle.

"What if I had been someone else? You would've been instantly spotted," he lectured and then added as an afterthought, "I can see your underwear by the way."

Kagome managed a scowl and repositioned her skirt. Her mood was broken when she noticed that the snake was slithering toward the boy. She watched him casually approach and pick it up. Immediately the snake curled itself on his forearm and rested its head comfortably while Riddle stroked it with his other hand.

"Adder, poisonous specie found in Britain. What you saw earlier was a female, this one's a male," he moved his arm so the snake faced her and continued, "They both say that you smell nice."

From all the things that the miko had seen and experienced, she was more surprised by the snakes' opinion than with Riddle being able to understand them, although he could be pulling her leg. "I'm not so sure about that...I've heard mixed opinions. Thank you though, I guess."

Perhaps she had imagined it but Kagome thought Riddle's eyes briefly glittered with satisfaction. She blinked and the image was gone, along with any further thoughts in that direction. He walked over to sit on the edge of the bed and offered, "Feel free to sit on the chair." Although it was an offer and _although_ sitting on the chair should've been better than on the floor, the girl felt commanded in some way. She sat, flattening her skirt by habit and didn't lean her back against the wood, more straight-backed and ready for instructions.

He smiled pleasantly, "Tell me what you can, Katherine. Little things like...your favourite animal, food, hobbies...just little things."

'Katherine, Katherine, Katherine...' seemed to echo in Kagome's mind. Was that a threat? But he only wanted to know little things...'just little things'... There didn't seem to be any harm in telling him things like that...

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Tom watched her lips widen into a cheerful smile and began answering, "Well, I like foxes; they're small but cheeky little creatures. My favourite food _definitely_ has to be _oden_, just delicious! I could never tire of that...Hobbies, um, teaching this particular dog how to sit," she smirked, "trying to repair something I broke and trying to rid this..._pest_," her voice hardened by the end.

'Fox' was an uncommon choice, most people tended to despise them for their stealing and killing. The next part, 'oden' she had said, Tom hadn't heard of that before. Then way she'd smirked made him think that there was more to the hobby of dog-teaching. He filed those pieces of information away for future use, but now he was more interested in Katherine's hobby of pest extermination. Singular, just one pest, but the mention of it had changed her tone and the look in her eyes. Based on his own opinions and experiences, this 'pest' could very likely be a person. Tom wondered how far she would go... He was starting to like her more and more.

"What about you, Riddle?" Katherine inquired. Her voice had the soft touch of innocent curiousity, or at least that's what it seemed, instead of the shrewd quality that was common with the Slytherins that he usually associated with.

"I like snakes, we understand each other," he emphasised that by placing the snake on the ground so it could slither back to its previous position in the middle of the room, "As for food, I'd prefer it to be expertly prepared with wholesome flavours. My hobby...is learning magic and planning on how to rid of an annoyance as well. The pest tries to hinder my progress."

"Sounds similar to our situation with my friends and me," she added. Tom wondered what she meant by that, did she mean friends or '_friends'_?

Tom found that more questions were building up around this strange girl than answers. He planned to keep her, at least until she no longer intrigued him.

...

"So, Katherine, I don't mean to intrude but what do you plan on doing now?" Tom had decided to be more direct.

"I have to find something but other than that...I don't know," she blushed, a little nervously.

"Is that so..." He kept the smugness out of his voice but still drawled, "Any thoughts on where you'll be staying?"

"No."

"What you'll be doing in the meantime?"

"No."

"Identity, expenses...?"

"I've already said so, _'I don't know'_." She was getting frustrated, probably at him and herself.

"Then stay with me."

"I...I..." she frowned, "but what about my appearance?"

"Is that how you really look like?"

Her eyes shifted, "Maybe."

He leaned back slightly, "Well, I suppose you just have to rely more on me then, won't you?"

"I suppose..."

"Since there _is_ a war going on and you _are_ currently in an orphanage, there'll be limited supplies. You may have to steal some things," he commented casually and watched for her reaction.

She frowned again, not thrilled with the situation but silently nodded.

"Or," Tom suggested, "We could find some jobs in London, maybe Diagon or Knockturn Alley and stay in an inn around there..." He trailed off, giving a thoughtful air while watching for her reaction to the locations. Tom was still very curious about her earlier display of magic and wondered if there was a possibility that she wasn't even a witch. However this option might give her the opportunity to be independent and not have to rely on him but if he played his cards right, he'd be the one who would benefit the most, satisfying his curiousity and eliminate his boredom.

"I don't have a particular preference," she carefully replied, "but would the orphanage let you stay somewhere else?"

"They'd be glad to be rid of me," Tom shrugged before redirecting the conservation, "You'll need a disguise."

"I know."

"A stray foreign-looking girl would be suspicious and attract too much attention." Her foreign aspect would raise suspicion but that wouldn't be the only reason why she'd attract attention. Her appearance was pleasing to the eye and there was something about her that tingled his instincts.

She gave another, "I know."

"So I'll help you out for the time being," he smiled winningly, "We'll both disguise ourselves and you can be my half-brother," he continued when she didn't retort as expected, "That would provide us some reason as to why we would want to keep our heads low. Your birth was a disgrace to the family, which cannot be mentioned on fear of retribution, but you're still my half-brother so we stick together. How does that sound?"

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The 'half-brother' part reminded Kagome of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. As she pictured the prideful brothers, she added, "What other people don't know is that we're the only ones left. The disgrace was because I don't have noble blood from both parents, but the retribution would be from other families who are jealous and fearful of our potential. We're sticking together more for a common cause than our blood relation. Also, since I was raised by my mother, I wouldn't know all the traditions and whatnot."

Tom gave her a nod of approval but she could see a sliver of well-kept surprise in his eyes. "What about names then?"

Names? Kagome wasn't good with foreign names. She tried to remember any male English names and ended with a very short list. She smiled nervously, "Um, John?"

"John," he intoned.

"Well, we're supposed to be undercover right?"

"Hmm, but you seem like someone who would hang onto the last thing left by their mother. You need an ambitious name since the woman would've been..."

Kagome frowned, remembering Inuyasha's mother, "No. She loved our father. She was more content to raise and keep me safe and hidden. I think she would've given me a calm, neutral name."

"Getting a bit attached to your character already, eh? No matter, that will make things easier. Fine, how about 'Dane', it's Old English, boring and means 'forest'."

Newly named 'Dane' smiled, "Thank you, brother."

"Half-brother," Tom quipped, which had Kagome trying to stifle a laugh, he shrugged and shared, "Well, my mother wouldn't have cared much except for how it sounded. I'll be Silvanus or Silas for short." Kagome maintained her smile even though she mentally grimaced at the 'l's. "But unlike you, I'll need another name around others. So for the sake of convenience and double-bluff, it'll be Tom."

She grinned wider from relief, "That's easier to remember." But more importantly, the name was also easier to pronounce.

"That was the point."

"And our appearances...?" Kagome inquired instead.

Tom motioned her to stand and evaluated her critically, "Without magic, at best you'll look like a delicate pretty boy but people may still question your gender. That'll be troublesome." Kagome didn't react to the implied compliment, only nodded in agreement. "You'll definitely have to bind your upper body, just in case someone bumps into you, which I highly recommend that you avoid. It's not a peaceful time, so stay vigilant. At least wearing robes should help," Tom turned his attention toward her hair, "We need to do something about your hair."

"No," Kagome immediately responded. He quirked an eyebrow with a superior air that suddenly made the miko feel very small but her stubbornness kicked in and she held her ground, "Not cutting my hair." If Inuyasha had been the one to suggest that, Kagome would've already 'sat' him into the ground by now but this was Tom, who was a stranger with an unknown power and also the person helping her. "I...Dane is someone who is sentimental, like you said, so maybe my hair reminds me of my mother."

"And how long have you been without your mother?"

"I could've started growing out my hair long before, for, um, _disguises_. Potential heirs would've been targeted but as a _girl_, I was safer."

"Alright," Tom finally conceded, "but the reason why Dane no longer uses that disguise is because he might suddenly undergo a growth spurt." Kagome mentally cheered when Tom agreed to leave her hair alone.

He slid off the bed to stand beside her and Kagome had to remember to breathe. Tom _was_ handsome and now he was tilting her chin up to examine her face. She also took the opportunity to observe his and was caught in his cool, almost hypnotic eyes. They had appeared a rich brown at first but after a longer inspection, there were also shades of green lurking amongst the brown like a snake hiding in the wilderness, with only flashes of shiny scales to warn of the impeding danger.

"Convenient," he said at last, "We both have dark hair and you have distinctive blue eyes, quite unlike Asians, so the half-brother scenario should hold better."

She nodded mutely. Tom released her chin and it felt like she had been liberated from a spell. Mentally shaking and scolding herself, Kagome asked, "What about the rest of my features, would I be able to pass off as a European boy?"

He cocked his head to the side to assess her from another angle, "Still feminine. Although you're right about the European part, you don't look English nor does your accent sound like it...so we'll have to rely on your eye colouring to distract onlookers and hope that they conclude that you're from an allied or neutral country. What other languages do you know?"

Tom had asked it casually but his wording was deliberate and almost made Kagome stumble on her answer, "I know a few words in Italian and French..."

He didn't seem to mind that she had side-stepped his question, only smiled, "Avoid attracting attention and leave most of the talking to me then."

"Okay, Tom."

..:II:..

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_**A/N:**_ Thank you to everyone for your opinion on Tom's eye colouring. There were votes and explanations, yet still managed a very tight battle. When everything was tallied up, 'dark green-brown' won, _barely_ (at least when I checked, including votes from all sources). More importantly, I hope my portrayal meets your expectations.

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Thanks for dropping by!

Airily


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** _Inuyasha _and _Harry Potter_ belong to their respective authors/owners.

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_**A/N:**_ Busy and/or unmotivated due to personal issues. But a belated Happy Chinese New Year and Valentines! (to anyone who hasn't read my A/N in 'Worth it')

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To the anonymous _V.C. West_: XD I'm flattered, thank you! :) I thought that since Kagome hasn't had much experience with lying/acting (that's Miroku's area), she's probably have to base it on something that she was familiar with. As for the Kagome/Tom interactions, I wanted it to be a bit different from 'Just a Riddle Away', where in this story Kagome has less experience and is more cautious/aware of Tom. Ah, well, when had love ever been logical? You mentioned I could give you a shout, well, think I'll be needing a hand round about now...since I've spotted the plot bunny, but it's been guarded by possessive dust bunnies. Yeah, it's a reflection of my current situation.

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I use 'Dane' when addressing Kagome as the guy and 'Katherine' when Tom is referring to Kagome the girl. If that's still confusing, please send me suggestions on how to make it not/less confusing. Thanks.

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**Like Magic and Mice**

-Chapter 3-

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..:III:..

It didn't take much effort for Tom to hijack enough clothes to disguise Katherine. The smaller clothes were from a few boys, who Tom felt that they owed him anyway, plus one of his old robes and Dane should be almost complete. The hair would need tying back or Dane would appear too feminine and she'd have to learn how to walk more like a guy but otherwise, one goal done.

Tom had already hinted to Mrs. Coles that he had thoughts about getting a summer job and staying elsewhere during the holidays. He hadn't actually intended it to be this year but then the girl showed up. At least his decision wouldn't seem abrupt and maybe he could persuade the matron to give him some spending money...

A hesitant knock interrupted his thoughts. Tom pushed himself from his leaning position on the opposite wall and opened the door to his room.

Surprise. Everything added together to give an illusion of a fair-featured boy, even better than Tom had expected. Most of her hair was pulled back into a low tail, while her fringe was loosely brushed to one side and the overall effect brought attention to her determined blue eyes like he had recommended. As for the clothes, they did their job of hiding her feminine body while not being too baggy or distasteful. To give the final touch, she stood straight and tall, her head tilted back and wore a slight scowl that made the picture all the more believable.

"I hate these bindings." She had also thought to lower her voice slightly.

"It's a sacrifice you'll just have to adapt to, but looking good," Tom nodded with approval as he entered and shut the door, "let's see your walk."

Dane did as told, walking a bit awkwardly at first but then with firmer steps. The arms and hips eventually moved less, while the legs stepped forward in longer, steady and purposefully strides. The overall posture gave an impression of a male who held a casual confidence but could hold their ground. It seemed to fit Dane's character; Tom had half-expected that Katherine would only appear meek and lost.

"Now you just have to remember to apply all this."

"I know, but I'm hoping the 'avoid attention' part of the plan will hold so that no one will notice when I slip," Katherine returned.

"_If_," Tom instantly corrected. Dane only shrugged his slightly broader (than Katherine's) shoulders, probably due to some sort of padding.

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Dane followed Tom quickly and quietly through old London. The city didn't look as miserable as depicted in the pictures of history books but to make up for it, the miko could feel the stiff tension in everyone's posture. Men walked swiftly with hunched shoulders, hurrying from one place to another while the women only traveled in pairs or more. The children littered in corners and alleyways sat huddled against the wall and watched passersby with hungry eyes. Kagome wanted to help them, but she had nothing to give.

Meanwhile Tom continued on with a blank face and a steady stride. Their destination wasn't very far and he had wanted to look around and make a few inquires before actually going through with their plan. Before they had set off, Tom had asked if Kagome had any useful skills that would help her get a job. Immediately the miko thought of her ability to detect things that most people missed, like the shards or incredibly fine hair, but she didn't know if there were similar objects in the Western world and so had timidly replied that they'd just have to wait and see.

...

Kagome followed Tom to an unusual inn called 'The Leaky Cauldron'. The sign on the outside had a silhouette of a witch brewing something in a cauldron but otherwise the entrance appeared dull and bleak. Passersby seemed to increase their pace as they neared the place, hurrying away while stubbornly refusing to even glance at the inn. The miko shrugged it off and entered.

Even with the time period being somewhere around World War II, Kagome still thought that the interior looked even more old-fashioned but perhaps that was the chosen decor. There were a few customers scattered around the place but she doubted that the atmosphere would've been any different from an empty inn. The mood was depressing and their black robes did nothing to cheer things up.

Tom tugged at her arm and spared her a meaningful look. She blushed, suddenly reminded of their disguises and plans to blend in. She hoped that no one noticed her curiousity and glancing around. The possibility was low and at least Tom had caught her now and not later. Kagome quickly masked her ignorance, very glad that she hadn't sprouted off any questions yet.

They exited the inn and finally arrived at a dead-end. Kagome was very surprised to see that the place hadn't been claimed by any homeless people. Then again, the miko was sure that she had felt a gentle barrier around the area with soft touches of reminders to turn her away. Except that Kagome was stuck in an unfamiliar place and time with little possibility of getting to any of her usual appointments. Except that she was following Tom whose mere presence was commanding enough that few would or could disagree with him. Except that she had a determined mind and wasn't simply going to drop things and run. So the girl kept quiet and only watched silently as Tom pulled out a stick and tapped the bricks in a well-practised pattern.

The bricks jerked, tumbled and opened to reveal a portal to a strange place. Everything, from the buildings' appearances to the people, seemed to reflect the inn's style. She caught glimpses of unusual merchandise and heard snippets of unfamiliar conversation. The miko suddenly felt very small and alienated.

"Stay close to me," Tom urged before setting foot into the odd realm. Kagome responded by clutching onto his arm which made him glance back with an unreadable expression before returning his focus ahead. With every step further in, she unconsciously moved closer and closer to Tom until he whispered curtly, "Plan." Kagome had completely forgotten about the plan, yet again. Dane quickly composed himself and moved a little away from Tom but still discreetly held onto the sleeve of his robe.

"Dane, see any possible jobs yet?" Tom asked casually.

"No," Dane replied softly but in a slightly less feminine tone, "What about you?"

He shrugged, "I'm keeping my options open until we find you one."

"Okay."

They kept walking until the miko felt something spark in the distance, something..._bad_. Feeling curious and obliged to inspect the occurrence, Dane nudged Tom toward its direction. He complied easily. Suddenly there were successive spikes, with the sensation going from bad to 'very'. So she increased the pace until Tom was the one who had to hold on before Dane completely slipped away.

...

Kagome didn't take notice of the surroundings. The miko was focused on the looming negative sensation emitting from a shiny gold ring. The small cloud of darkness around the ring was pulsing and growing, making the wearer cradle his wrist in increasing agony.

The miko frowned, pressed her lips together in concentration and stepped forward. She grabbed onto the hand with the ring and slapped the other hand away when it reached to interfere. When the cloud moved to stop her, she slapped that away too.

"_Idiot_," Kagome spared a curse as she studied the ring. The darkness didn't leave with her touch so it must be one of the more complicated curses. However, she did recognise some of the design etched in writhing black. The miko traced the counter and sent the pink emitting from her fingers into the ring. Instantly the trail of pink overwhelmed the black etching, the cloud of darkness was sucked back into the ring and then _shattered_. All that was left was a small pile of ashes and a distinctive red burn where the ring had been worn.

Now that there wasn't an active curse to worry about, the miko fixed the wearer a smouldering glare.

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The glare that Katherine gave the man was impressive. Right then, her eyes looked more like sapphires. They were hard, glittering and beautiful.

"You _idiot_..." She spoke with an even calm that sent the man shivers and Tom a barely suppressed smirk. "You obtained that ring through illegitimate means, which activated its curse. So, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Tom quickly surveyed the surroundings. They had attracted a crowd in front of the pawnshop in Knockturn Alley. Although he had aimed for Dane to avoid attention, Tom was pleasantly surprised at Katherine's ability and was going to use it to his advantage.

He stepped forward to address the cowering man, "First, perhaps you should thank Dane for the rescue. Our time is not free."

The middle-aged man stuttered out an apology, shoved a small leather bag in Dane's hands and then hurried off. Dane's frown resurfaced.

"Something wrong, Mr. Dane?" An old man who was been behind the counter of the pawn shop asked neutrally. _Mister_ Dane now...perhaps their job problems weren't going to be as problematic as he had thought.

"More in here," Dane lifted up the bag in question. There wasn't even a need to investigate the contents, which brought up Dane's skill in the eyes of everyone watching.

As the crowd slowly dispersed, with a few still lingering to wait and watch, the owner motioned them to approach the counter. "You both seem like capable young men, how about you work for me?"

Tom mentally grinned as his predictions were confirmed but he maintained his cool facade, "That's very generous of you, sir, but would we be qualified?"

"Well, why don't you clue me in on what you can do? Everything else you can learn."

So the half-brothers Tom and Dane were hired. Tom could also detect Dark objects but he had no experience in removing curses, which would be left to Dane. Instead, Tom had an inquisitive eye and would be trained by the owner to handle most of the buying and selling. Meanwhile Dane would maintain the stocking and delicate cleaning when there were no customers looking to remove or identify curses. Although Dane hadn't mastered the skill, his ability was already far above the average magical citizen.

As for their lodgings, Tom slyly maneuvered the owner to allow them a small room above the shop. The place had been a storage room for obviously dangerous objects, which the owner had left there as bait to severely punish the few who thought they could steal from him. Otherwise, the room and its content were left to collect dust. But now the owner had Dane, so the curses of most objects could be removed and sold at high prices. That pleased him enough to magically clean the room and conjure two beds for the boys. So all Tom and Dane had to do was bring their possessions.

Of course, Tom would be stopping by to buy another wand from one of the shops in Knockturn Alley. He wasn't going to risk being defenseless or even appear defenseless in the more dangerous parts of the town. That would also allow him to perform magic outside of the school period without being expelled. Katherine looked like she could handle herself quite well but Tom still maintained the decision to stay close by. If she had any other ability, he might be able to witness them.

The pay, learning experience and easy acceptance drummed a growing satisfaction in Tom. Yes, keeping Katherine by his side was a good idea.

..:III:..

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_**A/N:**_ Poll on profile page: Who should more of an appearance in 'Just a Riddle Away'?

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Thank you,

Airily


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